Which BIAB to use and when?
To get the best results for your customers, you can't rely solely on the product formula. To achieve amazing outcomes, focus on matching the product formula to the nail type and length. Today, let's look at which Gellifique products you should use and how these choices will deliver the best results.
Important Considerations
- We do not recommend using primers on clients unless they have problems with retention. Avoid primers altogether on clients with damaged nails.
- Always wear a base coat with all products that contain pigments. Although our soak-off gels can be used without a base coat it is always best to use a base coat.
Short Nails
Normal
Product combination: Microcrystal Base Coat, Smart Base, and Microcrystal Top Coat
Short nails are natural nails with a free edge of 0-1 mm. Normally, any gel product will wear very well on these nails. If the nails are not super short and have a tiny bit of a free edge, it can cause some chipping. To prevent this, file the natural free edge down slightly after applying the top coat. Add a tiny bit of apex and keep the product volume to a minimum to minimize chipping. Our Microcrystal Base is super elastic and creates a great bond between the nail plate and other products. Smart Base is more fluid and suitable for this service, as it holds structure without being too volumising. Complete the service with a medium hardness top coat like Microcrystal Top to prevent cracking.
Flexible
Product combination: Classic Base Coat, Apex Build and Any Top Coat
If the nail is flexible but very short, opt for the classic base coat and Apex Build. Smart Base is harder when applied in the BIAB technique, which can wear worse on flexible nails as it is more strengthening rather than cushioning. Apex Build is more cushioning, has higher adhesion, and holds shape better, allowing you to add more volume and shape to the nail plate faster.
Damaged
Product combination: Rubber Base Medium, Smart Base Coat / Fibre Base Coat and Microcrystal Top Coat
For damaged nails, use a more cushioning base coat like Rubber Base Medium and a Smart Base Coat to add hardness and structure. The product also contains vitamin E, which helps improve the condition of the nail plate over time. Alternatively, or in addition, you could use Fibre Base Coat to repair nails that have any cracks or missing corners. If the clients nails are super brittle and bendy then switch Smart Base for Fibre Base as it has nylon fibers which help to fortify the nails without excessive heat on damaged nails like typical fibreglass containing products.
Medium Nails
When working with medium nail length (natural nails with a free edge of 1-2 mm), opt for a two-step system and utilise a Rubber Base Coat instead of a classic base coat (Microcrystal Base Coat), as longer nails have more movement. To strengthen the free edge and stress zone, use the hardest-wearing product you have, then overlay the nail with a more flexible product. For medium nails, you could strengthen with Fibre Base Coat and then overlay with a more flexible product like Apex Build or Smart Base. Any Top Coat can be used with medium nails. If applying a dark gel polish colour remove the tack from the gel polish colour before top coat application for longer wear.
Normal
Product combination: Rubber Base Medium and Smart Base Coat
As noted previously, normal nails need minimal volume and product retention is usually great. Use Rubber Base Medium and then work in a 2 step application system with Smart Base.
Flexible
Product combination: Rubber Base Medium and Apex Build
Apex Build has a slightly higher degree of flex than Smart Base which is more rigid in an overlay layer making it more suitable for flexible medium length nails. Please still work in the 2 step step system and add a hard gel product for your stregthening layer if possible.
Damaged
Product combination: Rubber Base Coat and Smart Base Coat
For damaged nails, ideally work with a cushioning base coat like Rubber Base Coat. If trained in hard gel, we recommend doing an overlay with hard gel instead of a soak-off product. If working with soak-off systems only, use the two-step system with Smart Base Coat.
Save More with Bundles
BEST SELLERS - £84.15Discover a curated mix of six hues, with top-selling Smart Base shades now also enriched with vitamin E and the three top selling Apex Build. Enjoy a 15% discount on this exclusive set. BUY NOW |
MICROCRYSTAL BASE AND TOP COAT DUO - £19.50Base coat is the first step in the Gellifique® System and one of the most crucial. Its medium hardness makes it a perfect base coat for natural nails, hard and soak-off builder gel application as well as acrylic gel. BUY NOW |
APEX BUILD FULL KIT (BOX NOT INCLUDED) - £157.23Apex Build is an extra-strong and self-modelling base gel (brush on builder in a bottle) with rich colour pigment. Suitable for all types of natural nails and is ideal for small extensions , infills, and overlays on short natural nails. It has low viscosity and self levels in seconds. Can be removed with Acetone or infilled. BUY NOW |